Tube flaring machine with a plurality of aligned work holders and dies



Nov. 28, 195() A. E. WATTS TUBE FLARING MACHINE H LURAL ALIGNED WORK Ho ERS D DIE Filed oct. s, 1947 f m I D l I I /O I @I I@ I I I O. :O I' 1 I 3 I I I y l I Q Q Q A 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.;

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TUBE ELARING MACHINE WITH A PLURAEITY 0E v ALIGNED woRx HOLDERS AND DIES Filed oct. s, 1947 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Nov. 28, 1950 2,532,250 LARING MACHINE A LOIRMAIPV ITY OF ALIGNED WORK HOLDERS AND DIES Albert Edward Watts, St. Laurent, Quebec, Canada Application October 3, 1947, Serial N o. 777,771

4 Claimst The invention relates to improvements in eX- panding machines for pipes and the like, asdescribed in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which forni a par t of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features of construction as pointed outbroadly and specically in the claims for novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail of an acceptable form of the invention.

The objects of the invention are to devise a tube flaring machine with a plurality or aligned work holders and dies for flaring the ends oi pipes uniformly; to provide a tube flaring inachine which will facilitate flaring the ends of various sizes of pipes; to furnish an expanding machine provided with a means for cutting pipes so that the ends are uniform and perpendicular to the centre line of the pipe; to provide a device that will are pipe ends which when connected by suitable means will be capable of distributing air, gas, steam, oil and water, etc.; to produce a tube ilaring machine which is compact, facilitating transportation and storing of same; to provide a tube flaring machine which. may A be moved from one place to another without dismantling same; and generally to provide a tube flaring machine, for pipes which can be easily operated, inexpensive to manufacture, durable in construction and eflicient for its purpose.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view showing the tube daring machine.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the tube ilaring machine.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the tube flaring machine.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the ngures.

Referring to the drawings, the tube flaring machine consists of three pipe vises but could have any number of the same: Each of these pipe vises comprise an inverted U-shape bracket indicated by the numeral it. This U-shape bracket being of a predetermined size and made of steel or any suitable material. A lower vise block il is litted between the parallel flanges `of the U-shape bracket lil being liush with the ends of these llanges at the bottom thereof.` This U-shape bracket is xedly secured to the lower vise block by screws and the lower vise block, in turn, is secured to the base plate I9.

The uppervise block l2 is designed to slide up anddown between the llanges of the U-shape co'nimdates an expanding die.

bracket l0, being guided by means oi the vertical guide pins I3'. These guide pins are xedly see cured in the lower vise` block H and pass through clearance holes in the upper vise block i2.

These' upper and lower vise block's have a semi-circular cut out in each so as to form a complete cylindrical bore when they are placed adjacent to one another. This cylindrical bore formed by the upper and lower vise blocks ac- Tnis expanding die consists' of an upper portion M and a lower portion l5. The upper portion Hl of this eX-` panding die being' secured to the upper vise block I2 by means of a screw or otherwise attached, while the lower portion I5 oi this expanding die' is secured to the lower vise block l l by means of a screw or otherwise attached.

The mating surface of the upper portion I4 and lower portion l5 of the expanding die forms a cylindrical clamping bore when they are placed adjacent to one another.

This cylindrical bore has a tapered flaring portion at one end of the same.

The bracket t6 is secured to the top of the upper vise block t2 and has a hole in same to guide the end off the vise tightening screw Il.

The U-shape bracket le hasa collar i8A welded to the top of same andboth are tapped for engagement with the tightening screw Il.

This tightening screw l'l is threaded almost the entire length of. same,- having a portion at the bottom smaller and forming a shoulder to engage in the bracket i6, while the top of this adjusting screw is provided with a hexagonal head.

These expanding dies which consist of the upper portion M and the lower portion l5` all have the same outside diameter, permitting them to be interchangeable in the cylindrical bore fori-ned by any of the upper and lower vise blocks l2 and Il respectively; while the bores in these expanding dies are each of a dilierent size to take pipes of dinerent diameters.

A pair oi tracks consist of lateral guide bars 2o and 2| which are spaced a suitable distance from the vise blocks H and l2. These lateral guide bars 2t and 2l are parallel to one another, and also parallel to the vise blocks Il and l2 which are in alignment with respect to one another.

The slide block 22 has a anged portion '23 along each end at the bottom thereof, which in co-operation with the lateral guide bars 20 and 2|, permit this slide block to be moved lat- 3 erally in either direction on the base plate I9. The slide block 22 is threaded and movably supports the longitudinal feed screw 24.

The forward end of the feed screw 2d has a bored hole 25 extending thereinto which rotatably accommodates the rear portion 28 of the expanding tool 2l. The rear portion 2G of the expanding tool 21 has an annular recess 28 extending therearound, which in co-operation with a set screw in the longitudinal feed screw 24 maintains the expanding tool longitudinally in position. rIhe front portion '2S-A of the expanding tool is diametrical, and the rear portion thereof extends rearward and outward in a truncated conical manner.

The front portion 28A of each of the expanding tools 2l are of a different size to coincide with the sizes of the cylindrical bores in the expanding dies.

The feed screw 24 is provided with a slidable bar 29 which projects through the end thereof for manually turning the feed screw in either direction. r:She holes i and 3l in the base plate l@ are provided to accommodate stop pins to prevent lateral movement of the slide block 22 when desired.

A cutting guide block 32 is provided to facilitate the cutting of lengths of pipe, and also for cutting the ends even at right angles to the centre line of the pipe. This cutting guide block 32 has a hole 33 through same, which is large enough to permit the largest size of pipe intended for the machine to pass therethrough. The slit 35i in the cutting guide block serves as a guide for a hack-saw or other suitable cutting means. A pair of holes 35 are provided in the base plate i9 at the front and rear of each of the pipe vises, permitting the guide block 32 to be placed in any one of these positions and secured to this base plate by means of screws.

The base iQ of the tube iiaring machine is provided with holes 36 to facilitate the mounting of same on a work bench or any other suitable place.

Any required size of expanding tool may be Ysecured to the feed screw 24 and the parallel tracks mounting the slide block 22 permit the expanding toool to be moved laterally so as to be in alignment with the desired expanding die which is to be used. The pipe is securely held in one of the pipe vises by turning the tightening screw il and the expanding tool is then progressively moved forward by turning the feed screw 2li. The expanding tool then enters the end of the pipe held in the expansion die, forcing the side walls of this pipe between the tapered portion on the expansion die and the truncated conical portion on the expanding tool; this forming a flare on the end of the pipe.

The expanding tool 2i is rotatably mounted on the end of the feed screw 24, permitting this feed screw to turn without turning the expanding tool 21.

- The various parts of the tube aring machine are easily accessible, facilitating the changing of interchangeable parts, and repairing or replacing of any of the other parts in the machine.

What I claim is:

1. In a tube flaring machine with a plurality of work holders and dies, a base plate, a plurality of vise members mounted in lateral alignment on said base plate, each of said vise members comprising an inverted U-shaped bracket, a lower vise block being tted between the parallel anges of said U-shaped bracket and being 4 flush with the ends of said flanges at the bottom thereof, the said U-shaped bracket being xedly secured to said lower vise block, the latter, in turn, being xedly mounted on said base plate, an upper vise block having means permitting same to slide up and down between the parallel flanges of said U-shaped bracket, tightening means being mounted on the web of said U- shaped bracket for tightening said upper vise block against said lower vise block, said upper vise block and said lower vise block each having a recessed portion on the adjacent faces of same and coinciding in size and shape to one another, said recessed portion in said upper vise block and said lower vise block forming supporting seats to accommodate an expanding die, the latter comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being fixedly secured to the seat of said upper vise block, and said A lower portion being fixedly secured to the seat of said lower vise block, said upper portion and said lower portion each having a semi-circular recess on the adjacent faces of same and coinciding in size and shape to one another, said semi-circular recess in each of the same forming a clamping bore to accommodate a pipe, said clamping bore having a tapered flaring portion at one end thereof, said upper portion and said lower portion of said expanding die being opened and closed by means of said upper vise block in co-operation with said tightening means, said clamping bore in each of said vise members being a different size to accommodate pipes of different diameters, a, longitudinally movable member and means for suitably mounting same on said base plate, said mounting means having lateral movement in either direction, so as to place said movable member in alignment with said pipe, a pipe flaring means connected to said movable member, means for progressively feeding said movable member longitudinally for engaging said pipe flaring means with the end of said pipe, said tapered portion within said expanding die in co-operation with said flaring means forming a iiare on the end of said pipe.

2. In a tube flaring machine with a plurality of work holders and dies, a base plate, a plurality of vise members mounted in lateral alignment on said base plate, each of said vise members comprising an inverted U-shaped bracket, a lower vise block and an upper vise block, said lower vise block being fitted between the parallel flanges of said inverted U-shaped bracket and being ush with the ends of the flanges at the bottom thereof, said inverted U-shaped bracket being xedly secured to said lower vise block and the latter, in turn, being iixedly mounted on said base plate, said upper vise block having holes extending vertically therethrough, vertical guide pins xedly secured in said lower vise block and adapted to extend into the vertical holes in said upper vise block thus guiding vertical movement of the latter, said upper and said lower vise blocks each having a semi-circular cut-out therein thus forming a complete cylindrical bore when the same are placed adjacent to one another, an expanding die accommodated in each of said vise members and comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion of said expanding die being supported in said upper vise block, and said lower portion of said expanding die being mounted in said lower vise block, thus forming a clamping bore to accommodate a pipe, a movable member mounted on said base plate, a pipe flaring means supported on said movable member, means for progressively feeding said movable member and said pipe flaring means longitudinally with respect to said base plate and towards any of said vise members.

3. In a tube flaring machine with a plurality of work holders and dies, a base plate, a plurality of vise members mounted in lateral alignment on said base plate, each of said vise members comprising a lower vise block xedly mounted on said base plate, an inverted U- shaped bracket iixedly secured on each of said lower vise blocks and extending upward thereabove, an upper vise block located within said inverted U-shaped bracket above said lower vise block, said upper vise block having holes extending therethrough, pins mounted in said lower vise block and extending upward into the holes in said upper vise block for guiding upward or downward movement of the latter, a bracket secured to the top of each of said upper vise blocks, a collar secured to the top of each of said inverted U-shaped brackets, said collar having a tapped hole extending therethrough, a tightening screw threaded into said collar on each of said inverted U-shaped brackets, said tightening screw bearing downward on said upper vise block within each of said inverted U-shaped brackets, and said bracket on each of said upper vise blocks guiding the lower end of the respective tightening screw as it forces said upper vise block downward adjacent to said lower vise block, a threaded member mounted on said 1base plate and adapted to be laterally moved with respect thereto, a longitudinal feed screw supported in said threaded member, a pipe flaring means mounted on the forward end of said longitudinal feed screw, said vise members substantially gripping a pipe therein and said pipe aring means engaging the end of the pipe and being progressively fed forward thus forming a flare on the aforesaid pipe.

4. In a tube ilaring machine with a plurality of work holders and dies, a base plate, a plurality of vise members mounted in lateral alignment on said base plate, each of said vise members comprising a lower vise block xedly mounted on said base plate, an inverted U-shaped bracket fixedly secured on each of said lower vise blocks and extending upward thereabove,

6 an upper vise block located within said inverted U-shaped bracket above said lower vise block, said upper vise block having holes extending therethrough, pins mounted in said lower vise block and extending upward into the holes in said upper vise block for guiding upward or downward movement of the latter, a collar secured to the top of each of said U-shaped brackets, said collar having a tapped hole extending therethrough, a tightening screw threaded into said collar on each of said inverted U- shaped brackets, said tightening screw bearing downward on said upper vise block within each of said inverted U-shaped brackets, an expanding die accommodated in said upper and said lower vise blocks for gripping a pipe therein as said upper vise blocks are moved adjacent to one another, a longitudinal feed screw suitably supported on said base plate, means for adjusting said longitudinal feed screw so as to bring the same in alignment with any of said expanding dies in said upper and lower vise blocks, an expanding tool rotatably mounted on the forward end of said longitudinal feed screw for engaging the end of the pipe held in said expanding die, said longitudinal feed screw being progressively moved forward, thus engaging said expanding tool with the end of the pipe and daring the same outward against said expanding die, and said expanding tool having a tapered portion coinciding with a tapered portion in said expanding die.

ALBERT EDWARD WATTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 698,171 Bock Apr. 22, 1902 1,350,904 Walters Aug. 24, 1920 1,372,197 Rudolph Mar. 2.2, 1921 1,724,697 Dobrick Aug. 13, 1929 1,914,235 Benbow June 13, 1933 1,935,714 Hummell Nov. 21, 1933 2,071,314 Andrus Feb. 2.3, 1937 2,176,188 Poole Oct. 17, 1939 2,211,242 McIntosh Aug. 13, 1940 2,350,998 Beach June 13, 1944 

